Problem Solving Lab Reflection
After reviewing my most recent lab feedback as well as
watching the recorded video in lab I have discovered that there is much room
for me to become a better teacher – I guess that is one of the purposes of lab!Things to improve:
- Enthusiasm. To be honest this surprised me to see it on
multiple peer evaluations. I assumed
that I had this natural energy and since I was excited about the topic in my
head I thought it would just radiate through my delivery. I must MUST work on this especially because
in my head I thought it was one of my strengths!
- Lab Approach. So this lab was a problem solving lab and I
tried to provide my students the problem and have them develop the solution. The class was a leadership class and yet I
did all the directing. I assumed that by
doing this I would lead them to the appropriate area to think but perhaps I had
that all wrong. After watching some of
my peers present I realize that it is okay to let your students decipher the
problem.
- Clarity.
I try to be clear with my directions and sometimes I am repetitive to
try to emphasis my point. Maybe I should
also have everything written out for students in individual packets to
encourage learning at their own pace.
- Task-Oriented. This is something I struggle with. I know the tasks and try to manage time
correctly but I get very concerned about walking around when students are in
pairs. I am fearful because I don’t want to mess up their jive as they are
exploring possibilities to solve a problem.
On the other hand perhaps me walking to each group would encourage
students to be more diligent in their tasks.
Positives:
- I acknowledged things to improve!
- I was smiling in class
- The students were engaged
- There was opportunities for students to harness
their ideas
Overall, I think that there is much for me to work on to become
a better teacher. I am excited to
continue working in labs to gather ideas from my peers and to build myself into
a better teacher. I am also excited to
work with Mrs. Bier at Shippensburg to learn her skills and style for
facilitating a variety of instruction!
Good reflection Jenna! I know I'm not in your lab and haven't had the chance to watch one of your videos but I'm sure you are doing much better than you think! You have a natural, positive attitude and enthusiasm about you; I'm sure this shows through your teaching more than you think! But there is always room for improvement and in the end, I know you will be a great teacher!
ReplyDeleteJenna, nice reflection! I definitely think that you are too hard on yourself, though! Your lab went well, and you were enthusiastic about the topic. I also struggle with letting go of the reigns, and letting my students take charge. I think that as we gain more experience teaching, we will begin to feel more comfortable doing this. I also struggle with walking around and finding the appropriate time to cut into their conversations. As you said, I don't want to disrupt them. However, I definitely think that interacting with students while they are working independently helps more than it harms. It lets students know that you care!
ReplyDeleteJenna, Guess what! I have the same problem with enthusiasm!! Why doesn't it just automatically show that we're enthusiastic. I know for me personally, it's mostly because I am not very good at showing emotion. But you know what, it'll become a lot easier once you become comfortable in your teaching and your students get to know you. They will learn to pick up on when you are enthusiastic, when you are angry, when you are passionate. Even if it is more reserved than other people's. So don't get discouraged!!
ReplyDeleteAwesome reflection Jenna! I really like how you broke this down into positives and things you want to improve. I also struggle with enthusiasm and clarity. I feel like I am being enthusiastic because I'm excited about the topic but it doesn't come across as well. I have been working on clarity by writing out all of my instructions in my lesson plans. Keep it up!
ReplyDelete